


A Thorn In Your Side

by spiralxshock



Category: One Piece
Genre: Slice of Life, background kid/killer, this is just self indulgent stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25923841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralxshock/pseuds/spiralxshock
Summary: As cook on the Victoria Punk, Thorn knows the inner workings of the crew better than most. As they say, the fastest way to a person's heart is through their stomach- and nobody goes hungry in her kitchen.
Relationships: Heat/Wire (One Piece)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 46





	1. South Blue: Found

“So you’re pirates, huh?” Thorn leaned over their booth, palms resting on polished wood. “What, you going for the One Piece?”

“Damn right we are.” The red-haired one grinned, gesturing to himself. “And I’m gonna be king.”

“Must be nice, being free enough to sail wherever you want.” She slid into the booth next to the redhead’s friend- a small blonde man eating noodles through his mask. “I’d kill to get off this island. Don’t think I could ever be a pirate, though…”

“Don’t see why not. If you want to be one, the hell’s stopping you?”

“I’m not a fighter.” She stared at her hands. Any crew she was on would only see her as a burden, especially one looking for the One Piece. “I bet you’ve already got a bunch of strong members. People who can pull their weight. I’m just a cook.”

The redhead went silent, and for a minute the only sound at the table was the blonde sipping at his drink. Thorn had to try not to stare at how he had the straw going in through one of the mask’s holes. 

“It’s just us right now.” The blonde spoke up finally, wiping the front of the mask with a napkin. “We’re still looking for people.”

“Oh. So you’re like…  _ really _ new to this then. That’s cool. I hope recruiting goes well.”

“You said you were a cook.”

“I did.” She looked back to the redhead, thankful for the distraction. It was rude to stare, she knew that, but the other pirate’s eating method made it hard not to.

“I want you on my crew.”

Thorn let out a sharp laugh.

“You’re kidding! I told you, I can’t fight. I’d be a shit pirate, dead before we reached the next island.”

“I don’t care. Killer and I are more than enough for fighting.  _ You  _ can cook. We… uh,” His sour expression turned uncomfortable, bordering on embarrassed. “We can’t.”

One of them being named Killer should have sent up a red flag, but Thorn couldn’t bring herself to care. They wanted her, presumably to be the ship’s cook. That was it. No fighting ability needed. She grinned.

“If I’m going to be on your crew, I guess I should introduce myself.” She leaned back, crossing her arms as a grin spread across her face. “I’m Thorn. And what should I call you, Captain?”   


“Kid. Eustass Kid. Welcome aboard.” 

Thorn couldn’t help but laugh as her new Captain grinned. She was a  _ pirate.  _ She was going to see the word and, come hell or high water, help her captain be King. A faraway dream had fallen right into her lap. Helping him achieve his was the very least she could do, even if all she  _ could _ do was cook. They’d get there. She knew they would. And by the way Kid joined her laughter, so did he.


	2. South Blue: Heat

Thorn let out a soft sigh, staring out over the water. She was running the ship at the moment, Killer and Kid having gone to get some rest after the monumental disaster of the last island.

Well, it wasn’t a complete disaster. The man standing by the rail of the _ Cerberus _ was proof enough of that. When the others had finally dragged themselves back to the ship, he’d been with them. A fourth member to their little crew, and another mouth to feed. But he seemed on edge, staring out at the water since they had returned. 

Thorn couldn’t begin to guess what he enjoyed, not yet anyways, but tea was usually a safe bet. She stepped carefully down to the deck, careful not to spill anything as she made her way over to him.

“Sorry about earlier.” She said, leaning against the rail. “Those two always seem to get into trouble.”

She held the mug out towards him, and he gratefully accepted. It was strange, how small he seemed despite being at least head and shoulders taller. His clothes were worn and hung off him. Scars covered his face, looking almost like stitches.

“It’s fine.” His voice was quiet. “I’m still getting used to being free.”

“Free?”

The other nodded, taking a sip of the tea.

“I grew up with most of the Marines on that island. They’ve always put a target on my back, but now… It won’t be personal, at least. Or as constant.” 

Ah. Bullies going into the Marines. It was an unfortunately common occurrence in their corner of the world, evident through the amount of corruption within their ranks. Without the Headquarters breathing down their necks, they seemed far more willing to abuse what power they had. 

“Well, here’s hoping you never have to see them again. I’m Thorn, by the way. I do the cooking around here”

“Heat.”

“Welcome to the  _ Cerberus _ , Heat.” She stood fully, head still barely at his chest. “You hungry? I managed to restock before everything went to shit, so you can just tell me what sounds good.”

“Thank you. I… wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed to join.”

“It’s no problem. The captain’s a bit pig-headed but he’s a good guy.” She winked, grinning. “But let’s just keep that between us, alright?”

The look in his sunken eyes softened, and Thorn smiled in return. 

“Do you have anything spicy?”

“Absolutely. The other two don’t usually do spicy, so I’ve got a lot I’ve never had the chance to use.” 

She started towards the kitchen door, digging around in her pocket a moment before passing a hair band over to Heat. He took it, but gave her a quizzical glance.

“Kitchen rule. Long hair has to be up.” Thorn shrugged. “Didn’t have it before, but there’s only so long you can deal with Killer’s hair getting everywhere.”

It was easier to make it a general rule, and she wasn’t about to deal with their new friend’s long, gray hair in addition to Killer’s. She held the door for him as he entered, watching as he set down the mug and pulled his hair back. He sat at the table and glanced around the room.

“Once we get to the next town you can take the first shift with me. I mean, you don’t have to, but we could get you some new clothes before the dynamic duo wreck the place.”

“You usually explore first?” 

“We’ve both seen what happens when Kid and Killer get on the island. It’s easier to get groceries when everything’s not on fire.”

Heat nodded. He didn’t seem to be much of a talker, but Thorn wasn’t about to count that as a personality trait. Whatever had happened on the island was likely more than enough to make his new situation uncomfortable. Thorn shuffled about the kitchen, focused on preparing the food. Curry wasn’t her best work, given the lack of people to eat it on the ship, but now was the perfect time to bring out the books she had collected. Before long the smell of spice filled the room. 

Thorn glanced back, noticing how Heat had taken to staring at his hands. The mug sat empty in front of him.

“Something on your mind?”

Heat jumped slightly. 

“I’m... thinking about my home island. What happened there.”

“Do you… want to talk about it?”

There was a long pause, and Thorn turned back to the stove. She kept her head tilted, though. If he decided to share she wanted to make sure he knew she was paying attention.

“All the deaths… they weren’t your- our captain’s fault. One of the marines I knew tried to start shit, and… I finally fought back.” 

It wasn’t hard to hear how his voice quieted. He sounded unsure, like he still couldn’t believe he’d finally started a fight that was a long time coming. No… He finished the fight. There was nothing those Marines could do to him now. Thorn grabbed a couple of bowls, filling each nearly to the brim before bringing them to the table.

“Well, you’re one of us now. That won’t be the last fight you start, I guarantee it.” Thorn began, fetching them the utensils she couldn’t grab before. “Of course, with Kid as our captain you might not get the chance. It’s harder to get him to not fight. So I guess you shouldn’t worry about that too much.”

“That’s… one way of thinking about it.”

Both jerked as the door slammed open, Kid stumbling in still half-asleep. Killer followed behind, hair already tied up.

“The hell smells so good?” Their captain mumbled, eyes on the still-steaming pot.

“It’s not for you!” Thorn snapped. “You can’t handle spicy things, I’ll make you something else. Killer, you help yourself to it.”

“Like hell I can’t! I can handle anything!” He seemed to be fully awake now, going by how quickly he’d filled his own bowl and started inhaling it.

The group stared at him, almost in shock.

“You… you don’t have to eat it.” They couldn’t see his face, but the bewildered shock was clear in his voice.  


“I’sh g’d.” He said, mouth full.

“Kid your face is  _ red _ . You’re  _ crying _ .” 

Thorn glanced over at Heat as the others continued to go back and forth. It wasn’t an unusual sight for them, but hard to expect. He seemed to be taking it better than expected. His expression had softened. Not quite smiling, but still at ease. 

“Hey.” She bumped Heat with her elbow, getting his attention. “Next time make sure I don’t make enough for him.”

The other nodded.

“That seems like it would be for the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this one got long. Feel free to suggest characters you'd like to see her interact with. Or Arc, I guess. Though I probably will hold off on those and post things in a somewhat chronological order. 
> 
> (Also I absolutely made Kid unable to handle spicy food just because I thought it'd be funny if he was the only one who couldn't)
> 
> Edit: Changed parts of this now that I have a better idea of what I want Heat's backstory to be.


	3. South Blue: Heat II

The next port they stopped off at had a sizable town, thankfully. The kitchen was still well-stocked, but there were a few odds and ends Thorn needed to grab. Not to mention their new friend needed clothes and whatever else that could help get him settled on the ship. He would be joining her on the shopping run. It would be nice, having the company and the extra hands for the wagon. 

“We’ve got time and plenty of berris from the last island, so if you see something you wanna check out we can stop.”

Heat nodded, preoccupied by looking around the town. They walked through the street, getting odd looks from passers by. Neither bothered to do anything about it. So what if people stared? They had better things to do. 

Eventually Heat came to a stop, staring in the direction of a shop standing apart from the rest. It was darker, not fitting with the rest of the town but being perfect for their own fashion niche. They glanced at each other and shrugged, making their way over to the shop. It was probably the best place they were going to find if his style was anything like Kid’s.

Entering the shop, they were met by a surprisingly clean sight. Everything was tidy and organized, a surprise after the dingy exterior. Behind the counter sat a woman about Heat’s size, body covered in intricate tattoos and with more piercings than Thorn could be bothered to count. 

This was definitely the right place for them.

“Hey.” The woman droned, not looking up from her book. “If you need help with anything, let me know.”

“Uh, thanks.” Thorn replied before following her crewmate deeper into the store.

It was almost overwhelming. It had everything from what looked like bdsm gear to casual clothes, and there was a whole section of wall dedicated solely to accessories. They’d have to let Kid know about this place. He’d love it. 

Thorn let herself become a walking coat rack, arms filling with potential finds Heat grabbed to try on. She regretted not bringing the wagon in, but it was too late for that now. 

“Hey Heat?” She said, voice muffled by the clothes she was carrying.

“Hm?”

“Maybe we should stop by the dressing room. Whittle it down a bit?”

He seemed to realize just how much she was carrying, grabbing half the pile from her.

“Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“It’s fine! I just didn’t want to drop it all. Besides, if we get some things I can buy them real quick and ask the cashier if she can watch the bags for us. Give us more arm space to keep looking.”

He nodded, looking around briefly before moving on. Hopefully he’d spotted the dressing rooms, something Thorn had been having trouble with. Sure enough, they soon found themselves in front of the dressing rooms. She passed over the rest of the clothes before taking a seat on the nearby bench. 

Thorn couldn’t help but be bored as minutes passed. Sure, he really didn’t  _ need _ her opinion on things, but it would have been fun to see the kinds of things he was deciding on. It’s what made trying on clothes fun. Maybe she’d tag along if Kid decided to pay a visit… He always passed things through Killer, regardless of if he actually listened to the other’s opinion. 

“What do you think?”

Oh. She hadn’t even heard him come out. Glancing up, her eyebrows raised.

“Now  _ that’s _ one hell of an outfit.”

He’d found a sectioned corset, laced together with bright red thread. The pants were the same red, baggy and layered with a belt tying both together. Deep red tattoos across his neck and arms really brought it together. 

“There were other colors. I’ll have to grab some.” 

“Found a signature look, huh?”

“I think so.” Heat nodded, gesturing to the neat piles of clothing on the dressing room bench. One was far larger than the other. “Most of the other stuff works too.”

“Great!”

Thorn waited as Heat disappeared once more, changing back into his ill-fitting clothes. It was a weird change after getting a taste of what his style was really like. She grabbed the clothes to hang on the return rack and tossed him the money pouch, letting him take the bulk of the clothes to the front counter. She followed behind once everything was on the rack, which was a bit of a struggle given her short stature. By the time she made it to the front, the lady at the counter was in the middle of checking him out in more ways than one.

Now that she wasn’t reading her book, her interest seemed solely focused on him. Thorn skirted around to the door, more than a little interested in the scene playing out. Especially since Heat had his usual bored look, chin tilted up slightly. 

“Y’know, I’ve been looking for a boyfriend with taste like yours.”

There it was. Heat nodded solemnly. 

“Hopefully luck will find us both, then. I’m hoping to find one too.”

It took everything Thorn had to keep herself from laughing at the situation. It was hard to tell what was funnier: the absolutely bewildered look on the cashier’s face, or how serious Heat still looked as he paid. Even as they left the lady at the counter still seemed at a loss for words. But that was her problem. 

Thorn held the door open for Heat, letting him handle the bags for the moment. Once they were in the wagon she could get it, but he had a handle on it all for now. 

“So is that why you became a pirate? To find yourself a boyfriend?” She teased as he dug around in the bags, tugging out the corset top and yanking the tags off.

“No. But since I’m not stuck anymore, I may as well look.” 

He changed shirts as they walked, tossing the old one into a garbage can as they passed.

“Feel better?”

Heat hummed an agreement. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the conversation died as the front of a building to their right exploded. A figure hit the ground in front of them hard, rolling a bit before coming to a stop. From the rubble a Marine appeared. Whoever they were, the fancy coat made their position clear. 

Thorn was frozen. If they had been careful, they probably could have kept going like they were just passers by. That wasn’t going to happen. Heat had already positioned himself between the tall stranger still laying on the ground and the Marine Captain. He briefly glanced her way.

“You should run.”

With that he took a deep breath and…  _ holy shit _ . Somehow, Thorn found herself even more stunned. He was  _ breathing fire _ . How long had he been able to do that? The screams of the Marine finally kicked her into action. She sprinted through the town, wagon rattling dangerously behind her. It just had to last until she got to the ship. Soon enough the  _ Cerberus  _ came into view, small compared to some of the other ships docked. Getting up the ramp was easy with the built up momentum, but Thorn collapsed as soon as she hit the deck.

“Thorn!” Killer was at her side in moments, hauling her up to her knees. Kid was right behind him. “What happened, where’s Heat?”

She held up a finger, trying to steady her breathing enough to talk. The last thing they needed was something getting lost in translation.

“Heat… breathes fire.” She panted, pointing to a rising plume of dark smoke. As they watched another joined it, and then another. “Some guy was fighting some Marines. Heat got involved.”

“Damn him.” Kid growled, stomping towards the ramp. “Getting started without us… C’mon Kil, lets see if they left any for us.”

Thorn watched as they left, sitting back against the rail until she could catch her breath. With any luck they’d all come back in one piece. If not? Well, she hoped that the guy Heat decided to help was a doctor...


	4. South Blue: Wire

By the time the crew had dragged themselves back to the ship, it was already prepared to sail. It was the least Thorn could do, knowing the Marines would probably be right on right on their heels. Sure enough, as they stumbled onto deck the Marines began firing. 

“You guys leave  _ any _ of the town standing?” She shouted over the gunfire, ducking behind the mast as the others got everything moving.

“Most of it.” Kid shouted back. Thorn narrowed her eyes, gesturing aggressively to the thick column of smoke rising past the treeline. “Some of it.”

Yeah, that sounded about right. 

“Heat, take care of the ships. We don’t need them following us.” At their captain’s order, Thorn peeked back out from her cover. She had to see that trick again. 

Her crewmate stood by the edge of the ship as they began to pass a few marine ships. He took a deep breath and, as they began picking up speed, exhaled a startlingly large cone of flame. The ships caught fire quickly, and Thorn couldn’t help but hope she never found herself on the receiving end of an attack like that.

The mood on the ship relaxed once the smoke was on the horizon and it was clear the Marines weren’t bothering to give chase. Thorn let out a sigh, leaning against the mast and looking over the crew. Aside from some cuts and bruises, they seemed fine. Good. Being stuck out at sea with serious injuries wasn’t something they could handle. Not yet, anyways.

What she was most curious about was the new guy they dragged with them- the one Heat had stopped to help. She made her way over to where their captain stood, staring suspiciously out over the ocean.

“So…”

“So what?” Kid growled, taking his eyes off the ocean and turning them to her. She gestured towards where the tall man was helping the others start to look over damage from the fight.

“Are we keeping the tree?” 

“If he wants to stay. He can pull his weight, and we could use another crew member.”

“Good to know. You want anything to drink?”

“Something strong.”

“Caffeine strong or alcohol strong.”

“Alcohol.”

“Got it.”

She hopped her way back down the stairs, making a stop by the others. 

“Hey. I’m opening up one of the barrels if anyone wants a drink. Might need help getting it out of the store room though.” 

“I could go for a drink.” Heat’s voice was hoarse.

Killer tilted his head slightly before nodding in agreement. He seemed to understand just what she was trying. With her own way of doing things she’d never asked for help before, so asking was specifically to see just who this new guy was. 

“Hey. You go with her.” Killer said, and the tall newcomer nodded.

“Of course.”

She led the other below deck, pointing things out as they went. 

“Right here’s Heat’s room. Well, yours too if you stay with us. Other side’s the washroom. Captain and Killer have their own in their room, down the hall. I’m Thorn, by the way.”

“Wire.”

She glanced up at him, watching how he looked around the hall. It was a small ship by his standards, it seemed, but he was kind enough to walk slowly enough for her to keep pace. Thorn stopped short in front of the store room, situated under where the kitchen was.

“This is my room. Well, it’s the store room, but I cleared out an area for me to sleep in once Heat joined us.” She chatered, pushing the door open. Thankfully her pulley system was tucked out of sight, ropes in their designated boxes.

“So you and Heat aren’t…"

“Huh? Oh! No, he’s fair game.” She laughed, untying a cask from where it was secured. “Mind carrying this for me?”

Wire picked it up easily. Man, she might have to get his help more often, rather than relying on hauling it up through the trapdoor 

“So what, you sleep in a box or something?”

“Nah, my bed’s on the other side of that little wall. My closet’s basically a repurposed crate, though. Haven’t had time to get a new one before the others get us into trouble.” She led the way back out of the room, closing the door behind Wire. “Speaking of trouble, what were you even doing when we found you?”

“I told that Captain the truth, and he didn’t take it well. Things got out of hand after that.”

“I’ll say. What’d you tell him?” 

“Expensive clothes didn’t make him any less of a hideous pig.” 

Thorn barked out a laugh. Her new crewmate seemed reserved, but he sure knew how to make words count. 

“I like you! Hope you’ll decide to stick around, it’ll be fun having someone like you onboard.”

“Are you… expecting me not to?” The confusion was honestly nice to hear. It meant he hadn’t considered leaving.

“You never know. We aren’t exactly a notorious group, so if you did leave you’d probably be able to keep a low profile and be fine.”

“If I kept that low I think I’d hurt my back.”

Once they had gotten the cask into the kitchen, Thorn let Wire go tell the others as she got to work getting it ready to serve. It wasn’t a hard task. Well, it shouldn’t have been a hard task. But they only had casks on occasion, which meant she had ample time to forget where she put the tap. Still, she found it by the time everyone had gotten comfortable at the kitchen’s table. It was unusually quiet for a while, everyone more focused on their drinks than on conversation, but eventually picked up between Wire and the Captain. Her own attention kept returning to Heat as she cooked, glancing back to watch him stare intently into his mug.

Well, whatever was on his mind she’d probably end up hearing about it later. But considering how far Wire’s elbow had slid into his personal space, she could guess what was probably going on.

But it was nice, for now. Knowing they had a new member to their little team. Family, really. But Thorn was sure most of the others wouldn’t be caught dead calling the group that. Especially not their Captain. But they were her family, and she was glad to see it growing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! It's been a while since I last updated this, and I still have no idea how to write Wire. Soon I'll be introducing characters from the Kid Pirates that exist but don't have any canon information. So we'll see how that goes. Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next update!


	5. South Blue: WIngman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES this chapter is silly and dumb, but the Kid Pirates are dorks and that's the hill I'll die on.

It was two days of peaceful sailing before everything went to shit. Well, maybe that was exaggerating slightly. It was peaceful until Heat stormed into her kitchen, slamming and locking the door behind himself before all but collapsing on the bench, head on the table and hands gripping his hair.

“I’m going to die.” 

“What?”

“I’ll jump into the sea. Let a sea king eat me.”

Thorn put down the cloth she was using to wipe down the counter and turned to face him, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

“So is there like… a reason for this? Or have you finally decided to be consumed by existential dread like the rest of us.”

“I fucked up. Accidentally pissed Wire off. Seas,  _ why _ did I think that was a good idea?”

Huh. She probably should have seen this one coming. Maybe not Heat embarrassing himself in the first place, but giving his reaction it should have been her first guess. Thorn moved to sit across from him. 

“Now this is something I’ve got to hear.”

“Is it?”

“C’mon, Stitches.”

Heat sighed, sitting up more and resting his chin in his hand.

“Back on my home island I was always the tall, strong one. Other guys did not like that, but that’s not the point. Every now and then a girl’d try to bait me into picking them up. They got a kick out of it.”   
  
“Oh absolutely. There’s nothing quite like being picked up by someone way bigger than you.”

Even though she wasn’t exactly into the hot aspect of it, it was thrilling whenever Kid or Killer picked her up. So what if it was because she was in the way? 

“Yeah. I… may have tried that.”

“And it didn't go well?”

He let his head fall back onto the table, and Thorn took the chance to pat it in sem-reassurance. She wasn’t sure how reassuring it would be, but it wasn’t like she could reach his shoulder.

“Could barely get a sentence out.  _ Then _ he thought I was calling him  _ weak _ .”

“And then?”

“He said he didn’t need to prove anything. ‘Specially not to me.”

“Oh. That is rough.” And funny, but she wasn’t about to voice that. Someday they’d laugh about it, but right now she had to think about damage control. Honestly she’d probably have to tell Wire outright, but just downplay it some. “But hey, I’m sure it’ll work out. Maybe he’ll figure out what you meant.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then when it comes to guys you sure know how to pick ‘em.”

That earned her another sigh.

“Look, just… Get back out there and act like nothing’s wrong. Do… I don’t know, what to guys do? Ignore each other?”

Heat sat up, giving her a small nod before leaving. Well, dinner was going to be awkward that night…

* * *

As predicted, dinner was extraordinarily uncomfortable. It was dead silent, and what few conversations were started ended up dying quickly. By the time the meal was finished it was easy to tell that everyone was itching to leave. Well, almost everyone. Busy with the dishes, Thorn hadn’t noticed someone had stayed behind at the table.

“Thorn?” So it was Wire. Something told her this was going to be about earlier.

“Hm?”

“I… Need some help.”

“Yeah? With what?” Playing innocent was easy. It was always best to hide that she knew the other side of things, assuming she knew it in the first place. People were more comfortable with that. 

“This morning Heat said some things to me that I think I took the wrong way. He’s been… avoiding me since then.”

“What did he say that you took wrong?”

“He said he didn’t think I could lift him, and when I asked if he was calling me weak he backtracked. But… He still said he wanted proof? So I told him I didn’t have to prove anything.”

“Ouch. Yeah, _ not _ what I would have said.”

“What would you have said?”   


“Probably something like: Oh, you’d probably have no problem carrying me!” She chuckled to herself. “Or, you know. Just outright asked. But then again I’m me, not him.”

“I’m not following.”   
  
“He was baiting you into picking him up, from the sound of it.”

She turned the water off and turned to look at the other, silently reveling in the confusion on the other’s face. Seemed he’d never really been asked before. 

“Why would he want me to pick him up?”

“As someone who’s used to being the smallest one in a crowd, trust me on this. Being picked up by someone larger and stronger is just… fantastic. Some think it’s hot as hell, I just find it fun. And I’m pretty sure Heat’s not exactly used to being the shorter one.”

“Shit.”

“Hey, it’s alright. I think if you start acting like everything’s normal he’ll follow along. From the looks of things he’s probably thinking he’s the one who upset you.”

“I… Right. Thanks, Thorn.”

“It’s what I’m here for.


	6. South Blue: Killer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, another chapter? With someone who isn't Heat or Wire? It's more likely than you think. Thank you everyone for your patience! I don't quite know how to add images to AO3 fics yet, so for now only the link to this fic on my tumblr, marineduo, will have a doodle based on the chapter. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

It was a clear, cool night on the sea. Thorn had more or less been relegated to the first watch, as she had no intention of going to bed any time soon. For the moment her watch was strictly focused on the stove and the pot of milk that was starting to boil. It would be a good night for it. Behind her the door opened.

“Can I interest you in some cocoa?”

“Yeah. Might as well.” Killer’s voice came from the doorway before it swung shut, his heavy footsteps approaching. He leaned over her shoulder, likely to see what she was focused on. “You know what they say about watched pots.”

“That applies to everything but milk. I take my eyes off this and it’ll boil over and burn within seconds.” 

“Noted.”

He left her side, and she heard him move over to the small table. The room was quiet for a minute before the milk finally began to boil and she could turn off the heat. She was busy preparing the two mugs of cocoa when Killer spoke again.

“You’re whole thing is keeping secrets, right?”

“For the most part. I consider telling you or the captain fair game since you’re the ones in charge, but if it doesn’t need to be said I don’t see the need to share.”

“Alright.”

She heard something heavy being set down on the table behind her. Was it- No, it couldn’t be. But what if it was? Mugs in hand, she cautiously turned to face her late night company. It seemed her initial assumption was right. He sat there, hands combing through his bangs as his mask lay on the table in front of him. 

Killer caught her staring, and she narrowed her eyes as he did the same.

“Problem, Thorn?” His voice was low. Dangerous.

“You tell me, unless you can’t remember my rules.”

His eyes widened a bit before he sheepishly turned to dig around in his pockets.

“Right, sorry.” Killer pulled his hair back into a ponytail before she set his mug down in front of him. She took a seat herself, but couldn’t help eying the mask that lay between them. “Something on your mind?”

“Yeah.” Thorn looked up at him, meeting his gaze once more as she pointed towards his mask. “Can I try it on?”

Whatever he was expecting from her, it didn’t seem he was prepared for her request.

“I… Sure? It’s not going to fit.”

As soon as he gave the ok, her hands were on it. Somehow it was smoother than she had expected it to be. Thorn pulled it over her head, adjusting the back bar until it was tight. Well, as tight as it was going to get considering it was far too big for her. It smelled like sweat. A bit gross, but she wasn’t about to let that ruin her fun.

“Aha! Now I’m the noodle lord.”

“Noodle lord?”

“Have you seen yourself eat noodles?” She flailed her arms, the movement causing the mask to shift loosely. “Even with this thing on you just inhale them. Not to mention you look the part.”

“Fafafa! Alright, I get the picture.”

Thorn froze. Woah. What the hell was with that night.

“Was that… did you just  _ laugh? _ ”

“You have a problem with that?” His voice held the same danger as it had before.

“I didn’t think you found me funny.” Her own tone went somber, despite the fact she couldn’t even see him with how the mask had fallen. “I mean, I’ve been trying to be but you’ve never laughed at anything until now.”

“Yeah, well…” Killer went quiet for a moment. “Ok I can’t take you seriously with that on. You look ridiculous.”

“ _ You _ have a giant head. I can’t see shit!”

Once again he laughed as she fumbled with the bar, pulling it up so she could get out of the mask.

“Please tell me you wash that thing.”

“Every morning.” 

“Good. It’s kinda gross. So what were you saying before?”

“Oh right. You’ve always been funny, I just hate people hearing me laugh.”

Thorn took a sip of her still-hot cocoa, frowning slightly.

“That’s a shame. It’s a nice laugh. The kind that gets others to laugh too, you know? Even if they don’t know what’s funny. But it’s whatever you’re comfortable with, y’know?”

“Hm.” 

They sat in silence for a while, sipping their drinks. It was only after Thorn had finished her own mug that she spoke again.

“So… why are you up this late anyways?”

“Told Kid I wouldn’t sleep with him until he showered. At this point I’m just waiting for him to barge in saying he finally did.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then I’m sure Heat and Wire wouldn’t mind company for the night.”

Thorn laughed, and the edges of Killer’s mouth pulled up in an almost devious grin. It seemed even their captain couldn’t  _ always _ get what he wanted, but Thorn could respect Killer’s standards.

“Well you’re welcome to stay in here as long as you’d like until then. It’s nice to have some company.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that.”


	7. South Blue: Haikei

Thorn looked out over the carnage on the Cerberus, and the burning navy ship that was growing smaller as they left their opponents behind. It had been an impressive fight. She may not be a fighter herself, but Thorn could appreciate a win all the same. Looking down over the railing, she watched as the others collected themselves, finally able to take a breath now that the fight was over. Kid hurled one of the bodies scattered about the deck into the ocean. 

What really caught her eye was Heat. He hadn’t moved since the fight had ended, standing still with a hand resting on his stomach. A sliver of panic dug its way into her chest. Was he hurt? Thorn opened her mouth to say something, only to let out a panicked shout as he fell. Wire was close enough to grab him before he hit the deck, gently laying him on his back as Thorn and the others gathered around. 

“What the hell happened. Did anyone see him take a hit?” Kid snapped as Thorn started cleaning off blood to see if she could find where he’d been injured.

“Nobody got close enough to hit him. And I think we would’ve noticed earlier if he’d been shot.” Wire was the first to respond. Their captain let out an angry growl, storming off to throw more bodies overboard. Thorn couldn’t quite make out what he was yelling about, but she had a pretty good idea of what was going through his head. 

The more blood she cleared off, the more she knew Wire’s words were true. None of it was Heat’s. Just more of the spray that had covered most of the deck, courtesy of the other three. But without any visible injuries it was impossible to tell why he’d collapsed in the first place. Thorn’s hands wandered to just under his right rib, where she had seen him put his hand earlier. A light press to the area earned her a ragged groan of discomfort. 

“Whatever it is, I think it’s internal.”

Damn. And of all the times it could happen, it was before they had found a doctor for the crew.

“We’re a few hours out from another island at this point.” Wire offered, gesturing to the sea on their port side. “Can’t imagine there not being any sort of doctor there.”

“We may as well. It’ll give us a chance to stock up once more before hitting reverse mountain too.” Killer stood, turning towards their captain. “Get him below deck, I’ll see what Kid thinks.”

“Right.” 

Thorn watched as Wire wrapped his arms under the other’s knees and shoulders, lifting him gingerly. She walked silently beside them as Wire made his way below deck, getting the doors for him while he had his hands full. Neither said anything until Wire had set Heat down on his bed (he’d said something about not liking hammocks before, and seemed to have adapted). She watched, a small grin forming on her face, as he tucked a stray curl behind their unconscious crewmate’s ear.

“You really like him, huh.” Her voice stayed soft. There was no need to cause a disturbance.

“So?”

“It’s sweet. You should say something. Once he’s back on his feet.”

Wire let out a noncommittal hum, turning to leave without giving Thorn a second glance. Well, they still had time. She planted the seed if nothing else.

While her crewmate was quick to leave, Thorn stayed back. She couldn’t help her concern. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and she couldn’t help but fear the worst. Especially when it was impossible to tell what had caused Heat’s collapse in the first place. With any luck they’d find a doctor quickly. And before he got any worse.

* * *

As per their usual routine, Thorn was the first one off the ship once they reached the small island’s dock. Well, it wasn’t that small. But the large mountain that dominated its topography seemed to dictate the small areas people could live. It would hopefully make finding a doctor easier, if nothing else.

She wandered a while, searching the streets for anything resembling a doctor’s office. It was a failure all around. If the island did have a doctor, it wasn’t advertising it.

“Excuse me.” Thorn waved, approaching a man sitting behind a fruit stand. “Does this island have a doctor?”

The man looked her up and down, eyes resting on the skull across her chest.

“You a pirate?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Doctors here won’t serve your kind. An’ don’t start on about payment. They won’t take your money either.”

“Wh- There has to be someone!” Her voice cracked, panic gripping her chest. She slammed her hands down on his stand, leaning over it towards him. “Please! Can’t you think of  _ anyone _ who’d help a pirate?”

The stern look in his eyes softened, and he leaned towards her.

“Listen here lil’ miss.” He spoke in a hushed, hurried voice. “Take yer ship an’ go around to the north side of the island. Find the lil’ dock and follow the path. Man who lives up that way’s a doctor of sorts. Deals with all sorts of shady characters. He’s an odd duck, but he should be willin’ to help, for a price.”

With that he leaned back, waving her off. 

“Now git. We don’t need any pirates ‘round these parts.”

“Right… Well, thanks anyways.”

She booked it back to the ship, quickly relaying the information to the others before they set off once more. Like the man had said, they spotted a small dock on the island’s north side. They docked, but didn’t get off right away, instead staring into the thick woods separated only by a small path.

“I don’t like this.” Kid growled, twisting one of his golden bracelets with his thumb.

“I’m not sure we’ve got much of a choice.” Killer’s response didn’t sound any more sure, but it earned a frustrated huff.

“Fine. Wire, go get Heat. We’ll go together and get this over with.”

It was a good idea, all things considered. Leaving Heat there alone was out of the question, and splitting up with how few people were on their crew wasn’t the best idea anyways. They stayed staring out into the forest until Wire rejoined them, Heat once again held close to his chest. Thorn couldn’t help but grin, thinking about what he’d think of his situation if he were awake.

The forest wasn’t as thick as it looked once they were past the first few yards. It was almost peaceful. Almost. But the looming worry for their crewmate and what they might find at the end of the path was inescapable. 

After a few minutes of walking, a shorter time than any of them had expected, they came upon a cabin settled in a clearing. It looked… Well, the house looked quite nice. Quaint enough with smoke curling out of the chimney. The clearing itself was a mess. Empty bottles and suspicious, haphazardly nailed-shut boxes littered the area. 

Thorn exchanged a glance with her captain, who grimaced and shrugged. They all stood awkwardly on the small porch before Killer finally knocked. Muffled thumping came from inside, like someone was coming not so gracefully down stairs. 

The door swung open and… Thorn grimaced. An odd duck indeed. Between the bright orange mohawk, low-cut shirt and insanely fluffy jacket he looked more like a pimp than any sort of doctor. Judging by the silence, she guessed the rest of the crew probably thought the same. The alleged doctor looked them over, eyes resting on Heat before he sighed.

“Well, c’mon in. I shoulda known this was another…” Thorn didn’t catch the last bit, his voice dropping as he started mumbling only to himself. 

They followed him inside, through the cluttered house and into a side room. It was an immaculate examination room. Easily the cleanest thing in the house, and for the first time Thorn could buy him being a doctor. Except… Her eyes rested on a board of photographs, all portrait shots of different shady-looking characters. It was… suspicious, to put it lightly.

“Hey uh… what’s with the photos.” Her voice echoed in the room.

“Huh? Oh, I’m a bit of a surgeon. Don’t have the best memory, though. If people head up the mountain from ‘round here I can piece ‘m together better with a picture.”

“Oh.”

“We don’t give a shit about the mountain.” Kid slammed his hands down on the examination table. “Just fix my crew member.”

“What, don’t have a doctor of your own?”

“You think we’d be in this fucking dump if we did?”

The doctor nodded, grinning.

“Well if you’re lookin’ for one I may be willing to… Make a trade.”

“What kind of trade.”

“Well.” The doctor dug around in his pocket, pulling out a paper with a drawing of a round object with a small needle in the center. “There’s somethin’ I want at the center of the mountain. Get it an’ I’ll gladly join.”

“There’s a catch, right?” Killer crossed his arms.

“No catch. Most don’t make it back down the mountain, but that’s just how things are ‘round here. I’ll look over your friend while you’re gone.”

The group shared a look. She could see how tight Wire’s grip was on Heat, and hear the distrust in Killer’s quiet huff. None of it seemed to sink in for their captain, though.

“Deal. You’d better get packed, uh…”

“Call me Haikei. And forgive me if I don’t wait up for you all. It’s not personal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm considering spicing things up in the future and adding some different points of view too. Let me know if that's something y'all would be interested in seeing!


End file.
